Resolution of 2-substituted 1,4-benzodioxanes by entrainment

The methyl ester of 1,4-benzodioxane-2-carboxylic acid 1 and the mesylate of 2-hydroxymethyl-1,4-benzodioxane 2 are synthetic intermediates whose enantiomers can be advantageously used to prepare a number of enantiopure 2-substituted 1,4-benzodioxanes from readily accessible (±)-1,4-benzodioxane-2-carboxilic acid. We have previously demonstrated the conglomerate nature of the enantiomeric systems of 1 and 2. Herein, we report the resolution of their racemates by preferential crystallization according to an entrainment procedure. In particular, the entrainment resolution of 1 showed good efficiency, which makes the present method a competitive alternative to the classical resolutions of 1,4-benzodioxane-2-carboxylic acid with dehydroabietylamine and para-substituted 1-phenylethylamines that we have recently reported.     

Resolution of enantiomers of [α-hydroxy-(o-chlorophenyl)methyl]phosphinic acid via diastereomeric salt formation with enantiopure 1-phenylethylamines

The resolution of racemic α-hydroxy-H-phosphinic acid with enantiopure 1-phenylethylamines via diastereomeric salt formation was investigated. X-Ray crystallographic analysis of the salt revealed that (R)-1-phenylethylamine to be efficient resolving agent for obtaining a single enantiomer of [α-hydroxy-(o-chlorophenyl)methyl]phosphinic acid. Resolving racemic α-hydroxy-H-phosphinic acid with (S)-2-phenylethylamine also gave access to (S)-α-hydroxyalkylphosphinic acid in good yield.     

An improved synthesis of (S)-(+)- and (R)-(−)-[2.2]paracyclophane-4-carboxylic acid

Treatment of 4-bromo[2.2]paracyclophane with n-butyllithium followed by CO₂ produced [2.2]paracyclophane-4-carboxylic acid, 1. Both enantiomeric forms [63% of (+)-(S)-1 and 48% of (−)-(R)-1] were obtained by resolution via the corresponding diastereomeric α-(p-nitrophenylethylammonium salts.     

Resolution of ortho- and meta-substituted 1-phenylethylamines with isopropylidene glycerol hydrogen phthalate

The hydrogen phthalate of isopropylidene glycerol 1, previously reported as an efficient resolving agent of p-substituted 1-phenylethylamines, was also found to resolve selected o- and m-isomers. In particular, the (S)-enantiomers of 1-(2-methylphenyl)ethylamine 2, 1-(3-methylphenyl)ethylamine 3, 1-(2-chlorophenyl)ethylamine 4 and 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine 5 were obtained in good yields and very high enantiomeric excess (e.e.) by selective crystallization of the respective salts with (S)- or (R)-1. The e.e.s of the resolved substrates were determined by chiral HPLC analysis. The (S)-configuration of (−)-3 was established according to Raban's procedure. Optical rotations of non-racemic free amines 2 and 3 are reported. The success of the resolutions presented and of the precedent ones using 1 indicate that the position of the substituent on the 1-phenylethylamine framework does not affect the resolution, showing the uncommon versatility of 1 in the resolution of monosubstituted 1-phenylethylamines.     

Lipase-mediated kinetic resolution of rigid clofibrate analogues with lipid-modifying activity

The lipase-catalysed kinetic resolution of methyl esters of (±)-5-chloro-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-carboxylic acid, (±)-6-chloro-2,3-dihydro-4H-1-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid, and (±)-6-chloro-2,3-dihydro-4H-1-benzopyran-3-carboxylic acid, rigid analogues of clofibrate, was effected with fair to moderate enantioselectivities (E=1.0–4.8), enantiomeric excesses of up to 86% and workable reaction rates. Enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-5-chloro-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-carboxylic acids were obtained by fractional crystallisation of the diastereomeric salts of the corresponding racemic acid with (+)- and (−)-amphetamine from ethanol; the absolute configuration of the products were established by chemical correlation.     

Enantioresolution of 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphtyl)propionic acid using diastereomeric salt formation with chiral phenylethylamine

An enantioresolution of 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphtyl)propionic acid (MαNP acid) using the diastereomeric salt with chiral (R)-phenylethylamine was achieved to give enantiopure (R)-MαNP acid in 29% yield with >99% ee based on rac-MαNP acid. X-ray crystallographic analysis of diastereomeric salt revealed that (R)-MαNP acid was tightly arranged by four independent hydrogen bonds and one CH–π interaction with (R)-phenylethylamine.     

Synthesis of two (S)-indoline-based chiral auxiliaries and their use in diastereoselective alkylation reactions

Two chiral auxiliaries, 2-[(S)-indolin-2-yl]propan-2-ol 1a and (S)-2-(2-methoxypropan-2-yl)indoline 1b, were synthesised from enantiomerically pure (S)-indoline-2-carboxylic acid 3. High diastereoselectivities in alkylations of enolates of the propanoylamides derived from the two auxiliaries are presented. Surprisingly, both auxiliaries induced the same selectivity at the newly created stereogenic centre. The benzyl bromide and n-butyl iodide alkylation reactions showed diastereomeric ratios that were moderate (81:19) to very good (96:4) and with very good yields (86–98%). When LiCl was used as an enolate coordinating agent, in the benzylation of the enolate from propanoylated auxiliary 1a, a very high crude diastereomeric ratio was obtained (99.7:0.3).     

Solvent dependency though not solvate formation in the derivative–derivative resolution of N-formylphenylalanine

The efficiency of the resolution of N-formylphenylalanine was remarkably improved using (S)-(+)-2-benzylaminobutanol resolving agent in acetone. The efficiency of the resolution strongly depended on the quality of the solvent. Nevertheless, solvate formation did not occur during the process. The nature of the solvent-dependence was studied. The solid-melt binary phase diagram of the diastereomeric salts formed during the resolution by (S)-(+)-2-benzylaminobutanol was measured and discussed. It was recognized that the (S)-(+)-benzylaminobutanol (S)-(+)-N-formylphenylalanine salt exists in two polymorphic modifications.The effect of structurally related chiral and achiral auxiliary reagents in the above resolution was also studied. Thus, (S)-(+)-2-benzylaminobutanol was applied together with an (R)-(+)-1-phenylethylamine auxiliary resolving agent and benzylamine was used as a half-equivalent achiral basic reagent in a Pope–Peachey type resolution of N-formylphenylalanine by (S)-(+)-2-benzylaminobutanol. The results are compared to those obtained by the structurally related (R)-(+)-1-phenylethylamine chiral auxiliary.     

Synthesis, resolution and assignment of absolute configuration of trans 3-amino-1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-4-carboxylic acid (POAC), a cyclic, spin-labelled β-amino acid

Racemic trans 3-(9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonylamino)-1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-4-carboxylic acid (Fmoc-POAC-OH), prepared by conventional methods, was resolved upon esterification with (aR)-2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl. Separation of the obtained diastereomeric monoesters Fmoc-(±)-trans-POAC-O-(aR)-binaphthol by crystallization/chromatography, and removal of the chiral auxiliary by saponification of the aryl ester function furnished both enantiomers (+)-(3R,4R)-Fmoc-POAC-OH and (−)-(3S,4S)-Fmoc-POAC-OH. The absolute configuration of the asymmetric C³, C⁴ carbons of POAC were assigned from the induced circular dichroism of a flexible biphenyl probe present in the terminally protected dipeptide derivatives Boc-Bip-(+)-POAC-OMe and Boc-Bip-(−)-POAC-OMe (Bip, 2′,1′:1,2;1″,2″:3,4-dibenzcyclohepta-1,3-diene-6-amino-6-carboxylic acid). This assignment was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of the diastereomeric monoester Fmoc-(+)-trans-POAC-O-(aR)-binaphthol, shown to be (aR,3R,4R). Solution synthesis of peptides to the hexamer level, based on the (3R,4R)-POAC enantiomer combined with (1S,2S)-2-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid, was carried out to examine coupling conditions at both C- and N-termini of the POAC residue, in view of further syntheses and 3D-structural investigations.     

Resolution of 1-phenyl-2-(p-tolyl)ethylamine via diastereomeric salt formation

(S)-1-Phenyl-2-(p-tolyl)ethylamine (S)-1, used for the industrial scale resolution of chrysanthemic acids, was obtained via resolution of the racemate with the hemiphthalate of (S)-isopropylidene glycerol (R)-2. The maximum experimental efficiency [69% yield and >99% e.e. of (S)-1] was achieved by a simple precipitation of (S)-1·(R)-2 from the solution of the 1:1 diastereomeric salt mixture in 93/7 isopropanol/water at saturation of the more soluble (R)-1·(R)-2 salt. Such an experimental efficiency was consistent with 0.79 maximum theoretical resolvability, derived from the solubilities of the two diastereomeric salts, and with DSC data, which indicated that the (S)-1·(R)-2/(R)-1·(R)-2 system is a binary mixture exhibiting an eutectic with composition approximately corresponding to a 0.2 molar ratio of (S)-1·(R)-2.     

The use of (S)-(−)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine as a resolving agent for α-methoxy fatty acids

A general method was developed for the diastereoselective resolution of α-methoxy fatty acids utilizing (S)-(−)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine as resolving agent. The diastereomeric amides can be easily separated by silica gel column chromatography and/or capillary gas chromatography, thus allowing for a preparative and analytical method for determining the enantiomeric purity of naturally occurring and/or synthetic α-methoxy fatty acids. The first synthesis of the naturally occurring (R)-2-methoxyhexadecanoic acid was also accomplished in four steps starting from commercially available (±)-2-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid.     

Solvent-induced dual chirality switching in the optical resolution of tropic acid via diastereomeric salt formation with (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol

Solvent-induced chirality switching in the optical resolution of racemic tropic acid (TA) with (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol has been demonstrated. Recrystallization of the diastereomeric salt mixture from i-PrOH or EtOH afforded the (S)-TA salt, while the (R)-TA salt was deposited from 1,4-dioxane and water-enriched alcohol solutions. Dual chirality switching was achieved by using two different types of solvents. The X-ray crystal structures of both diastereomeric salts showed that incorporation of the crystallization solvent played a crucial role in stabilizing each diastereomeric salt crystal. The mechanism of chirality switching has been discussed on the basis of the relative stability of the salt, as deduced from their structures.     

Chiral supramolecular thiophene fluorophore consisting of thiophenecarboxylic acid derivatives

Solid-state chiral supramolecular thiophene fluorophore has been successfully prepared by using chiral (R)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethylamine and 5-bromothiophene-2-carboxylic acid. This chiral supramolecular thiophene fluorophore is formed by assembling chiral 2₁-helical columnar network structures composed of (R)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethylamine and 5-bromothiophene-2-carboxylic acid. This supramolecular organic fluorophore exhibits circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) even in the solid state.     

Asymmetric Strecker synthesis of enantiopure 2,4-ethanothreonines

The second generation asymmetric synthesis reported herein proceeds via a Strecker reaction of chiral ketimines, obtained from the condensation of racemic 2-methoxycyclopentanone and (S)- and (R)-1-phenylethylamine. In the key stereodifferentiating step, the cyanide addition leads to mixtures of diastereomeric nitriles, the composition of which dramatically changes under the influence of protic and aprotic solvents. Hydrolysis of the nitriles to carboxamides with concd H₂SO₄ yielded diastereomeric mixtures of carboxamides each of which was hydrogenolysed and hydrolysed after separation to the four stereoisomers of the 1-amino-2-methoxy- and 1-amino-2-hydroxy-cyclopentanecarboxylic acid. Their stereochemistry was established by NMR methods and by X-ray analyses of the trans as well as the cis configured compounds.     

Preparation of both enantiomers of β-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)-β-alanine, higher homologues of Dopa

β²-(3,4-Dihydroxybenzyl)-β-alanine [β²-Homo-Dopa, 1] is a novel β-amino acid homologue of Dopa, the most successful therapeutic agent in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Enantioenriched (R)-1 and (S)-1 were obtained via the diastereoselective alkylation of enantiopure pyrimidinone (R)- and (S)-3, chiral derivatives of β-alanine, with veratryl iodide. The major diastereomeric products (2S,5R)-4 and (2R,5S)-4 were hydrolyzed with 57% HBr, and the desired β-amino acids were purified by silica gel chromatography. Alternatively, enantioenriched (R)- and (S)-1 were prepared by means of the highly diastereoselective alkylation (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl iodide) of open-chain β-aminopropionic acid derivatives (R,R,S)-8 and (S,S,R)-8 containing the chiral auxiliary α-phenylethylamine. Finally, nearly enantiopure (R)- and (S)-1 were obtained by resolution of racemic N-benzyloxycarbonyl-2-(3,4-dibenzyloxybenzyl)-3-aminopropionic acid, rac-12, with (R)- or (S)-α-phenylethylamine, followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis.     

Synthesis of the four diastereoisomers of 3-thymine-1-(butoxycarbonyl)aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid

Synthetic routes to all four diastereoisomers of 3-thymine-1-(^tbutoxycarbonyl)aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid have been developed starting from the commercially available (S)-dimethyl malate. The key step in the synthesis involves dialkylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine ethyl ester with 1,4-diiodo-2(S)-trityloxybutane.     

α-Thiosubstituted chiral imines/secondary enamines: their use in the asymmetric Michael reaction

The asymmetric Michael reaction between 2-thiosubstituted chiral imines/secondary enamines derived from (S)-1-phenylethylamine and electrophilic alkenes (methyl acrylate, MVK) was investigated. 2-Phenylthio derivatives furnished the expected Michael adducts with excellent ee. By contrast, an in situ elimination of p-toluenesulfenic acid took place when using the p-toluenesulfinyl analogs.     

Practical method for the synthesis of (R)-homopipecolinic acid and (R)-homoproline esters from ω-chloroalkanoic acids and available chiral amines

A practical synthesis of (R)-homopipecolinic acid methyl ester 1 and (R)-homoproline methyl ester 2 was performed utilizing (i) a direct intramolecular cyclization of ω-chloro-β-enamino esters 11 and 12, which were prepared from available (S)-1-phenylethylamine or (S)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine and ω-chloro-β-keto esters 5 and 10, respectively and (ii) a highly diastereoselective NaBH₄ reduction followed by hydrogenolysis. The present method is a short-step process using inexpensive and readily available substrates and reagents with fewer wasted materials.     

Synthesis of pseudopeptidic (S)-6-amino-5-oxo-1,4-diazepines and (S)-3-benzyl-2-oxo-1,4-benzodiazepines by an Ugi 4CC Staudinger/aza-Wittig sequence

Sequential Ugi reaction between p-substituted arylglyoxals, alkylamines, cyclohexyl isocyanide and 3-azido-(S)-2-(tert-butoxycarbonylamino)propanoic acid, followed by a Staudinger/aza-Wittig cyclization in the presence of triphenylphosphine, gave rise to enantiomerically pure N-cyclohexyl 4-alkyl-2-aryl-5-oxo-(S)-6-(tert-butoxycarbonylamino)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-1,4-diazepine-3-carboxamides, that can be useful for new drug design. By the same sequence, p-substituted benzaldehydes, 2-aminobenzophenone, cyclohexyl isocyanide and (S)-3-phenyl-2-azidopropionic acid gave rise to N-cyclohexyl 2-((S)-3-benzyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-1-yl)-(R/S)-2-arylacetamides.     

Design,synthesis, resolution,and stereochemical assignment of a conformationally rigid chiral ligand derived from anthracene and a dienophile containing a pyridine moiety

The conformationally rigid chiral ligand, trans-12-(pyridin-2-yl)-9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11-carboxylic acid ethyl ester, 1, was designed and synthesized in racemic form. Both isomers were successfully obtained in enantiomerically pure form through classical resolution using l-(+)-tartaric acid in acetonitrile. The nature of the diastereomeric complex formed in this resolution was elucidated using single crystal X-ray crystallographic studies. The absolute configuration of (+)-1 was unambiguously assigned as (11S,12S) by single crystal structural analysis of salt 5 formed from (+)-1 and l-(+)-tartaric acid.